Washing-machine



No. 6|8,57-0. Patented Jan. 3|, I899.

F. n. HARDING.

WASHING MACHINE.

(Applicgtion filed July 22, 1897.)

(No Model.)

[nvenl'ou M214 AQ ZK VVi-Znesses Nr'rED STATES FRED D. HARDING, OFBALDWVIN, MAINE.

PATENT FFICE.

WASHING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters .Patent NO. 618,570, dated anuary31, 1899.

Application filed J'uly 22,139'7- Serial No. 645,515. (No model.)

.To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRED D. HARDING, a ci tizen of the United States,residing at Baldwin, in the county of Cumberland and State of Maine,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in VVashing-Machines;and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention,

' such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertainsto make and use thesame.

My invention relates to improvements in washing-machines, and moreparticularly to that class of machines wherein a corrugated roller iscaused to travel back and forth over a corrugated board and anintermittent stream of water is caused to be thrown upon the board. Itis designed to make a machine simple in construction, convenientin use,and efficient in operation.

In the drawings herewith accompanying and making a part of thisapplication, Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved machine. Fig.2 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view of the same. Fig. 3 is adetail plan view of a portion of the board, the bracket which supportsthe board, 8270. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the plunger and theframe which carries it.

In said drawings, A is a tank of any suitable size, shape, and material.It is mounted on legs 13 and has standards 0 secured to the sidesthereof. The scrubbing-board D is supported on brackets E, attached tothe sides of the tank, the brackets having curved flanges F on theforward ends to support the roller when not in use and lugs G on theopposite ends, which limit the backward movement of the roller. Thebrackets have offsets H, which support the brackets away from the sidesof the tank and thus form long narrow open spaces I and spaces J beyondthe offsets H between the brackets and tank. The flanges being curvedand extending beyond the offsets yield slightly to receive and hold theroller when not in use, the flange itself or the side of the tank beingsomewhat flexible. The

board in a longitudinal direction is slightly curved. In the front endof the tank is set an angle-plate K, which forms, with the front end andbottom of the tank, the conduit L,

through which the water from the tank is thrown upon the board. The topof this plate is turned out at right angles to the wall, as seen at M,and the bottom. is turned up at right angles, as seen at N. It isprovided with a series of holes 0, which permit the water to flow backinto the bottom of the tank. Secured to the front wall, above the end Mof plate K, is a plate P, the lower end being bent forward and forming,with the end M, the orifice of the conduit opening toward and adapted todirect the water passing therethrough upon the board. To make theorifice adjustable, I insert the edge of plate K under a retaining-stripQ, the upper end of which is tightly soldered or otherwise secured tothe tank. Bolts R pass through the tank, strip, and plate, and the platemay be adjusted vertically by having the bolts pass through slots S inthe plate. Suspended in slots T in the top of standards 0 is arectangular frame U, in the bottom of which is journaled a corrugatedroller V. Projecting rearwardly therefrom are brackets W, to which issecured a handle W for operating the roller. A cross bar X connects thetops of the standards, and between the top of the swinging frame andcross-bar are springs Y, which hold the roller normally down upon theboard, but yield sufficiently to allow the roller to pass over anythickness of material that may be on the board. In the horizontal partof the conduit formed by the bottom of the tank and the plate beforementioned is a plunger a, pivotally and eccentrically mounted in the endof a rectangular frame b. The free edge of the plunger is in advance ofthe pivotpoint, so that the resistance of the water causes it to dropdown and fill the conduit when being driven forward and to float up andallow a fresh supply of water to enter the conduit when being drawnback. The first position is shown in Fig. 2 and the second position isshown in dotted lines in the same figure. Pivotaily and centrallysecured to the inside of each of the standards is alever c, the upperend being pivotally connected with the swinging frame and the lower endwith the frame which crrries the plunger. The upper end of the lever hasa vertical slot 01 therein, through which the pivot-pin e passes andwhich permits the swinging frame to rise to allow the roller to passover the material on the board and the lever to swing beyond thepivot-point. To prevent the sides of the swinging frame from coming incontact with the edge of the lever, I attach to the sides of the tanklongitudinal strips f, which extend over said lever. The space from therear end of the board to the bottom of the tank is filled with a pieceof netting g. It will be seen that the space beneath the board, theconduit, and plunger are all separated from the main portion of thetank, thus ob- Viating all danger of the material being drawn under theboard or into the conduit. The corrugationsin the roller are somewhatdeeper than those in the board with which they register, thus forminglittle reservoirs at the inner portions of the grooves in the roller.The advantages of this arrangement are that the water is forced throughthe material into the little reservoir formed between the material andthe bottom of the flutes on the roller, which forcing of the waterentirely through the clothes aids materially in the cleansing process.Likewise the greater depth of the flutes in the rollertends to draw thematerial out of the flutes in the board immediately in front of theflutes in mesh, so that water gathers in the little reservoirs be tweenthe bottom of the flutes and the clothes on the board, and when theflutesin the board and roller mesh the water is forced through theclothes instead of, as is usual when the clothes remain pressed closelyinto the flutes, forcing the water down upon the top of the clothes.This also increases very much the eificiency of the washing.

The operation of the plunger is apparent. \Vhen the swinging frame isdrawn back the lever drives the plunger forward in the horizontal partof the conduit, the plunger filling the conduit and forcing water upwardand forward upon the board. When the swinging frame is pushed forward,the lever draws the plunger back, the edge of the plunger floating up topermit a fresh supply of water to enter the conduit from the tank.

Having thus described my invention and its use, Iclaim 1. In awashing-machine, a suitable tank, a corrugated scrubbing-board, anangle-plate forming, with the bottom and end of the tank, a conduit fordischarge of water upon the board, a frame adapted to reciprocate in thehorizontal part of said conduit, a plunger pivotally mounted in saidframe, a swinging corrugated rollerand means for reciprocating saidframe and plunger, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. In a washing-machine, a tank, a corrugated scrubbing-board, anangle-plate in one end of said tank forming, with the end and bottom ofthe tank, a conduit for discharge of water upon the board, the upper endof said angle-plate being bent forward, and a second plate secured tothe end of the tank above said first-named plate and forming therewith along narrow orifice through which the water is thrown upon said board, aswinging frame carrying a scrubbing-roller, a reciprocating framecarrying a plunger operating in the horizontal part of said conduit, anda lever connecting said frames, whereby the reciprocating frame isoperated by the swinging frame, substantially as and for the purposesset forth.

3. In a washing-machine, a tank, a corrugated scrubbing-board, ahorizontal and vertical conduit arranged in one end thereof, a framehaving a plunger eccentrically and pivotally mounted therein and adaptedto reciprocate in the horizontal part of said conduit, a swinging framecarryinga corrugated roller adapted to mesh with said board, standardssecured to the sides of the tank and a lever pivotally mounted on saidstandards, one end secured to the reciprocating frame which carries theplunger and the other secured to the swinging roller-frame by a pivotand sliding connection, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

4. In a washing-machine, a tank, a scrub hing-board, an angle-plate inone end of said tank forming, with the bottom and end of the tank, aconduit for the discharge of water upon the board, an adjustable platesecured to the tank and forming, with the top of said an gle-plate, along narrow orifice to said conduit, a swinging frame carrying ascrubbingroller, a reciprocating frame carrying a pivotally-mountedplunger and means connecting said frames whereby the swinging of theroller-frame reciprocates the plunger-frame, substantially as and forthe purposes set forth.

5. In a washing-machine, a tank, a scrubbing-board, an angle-plateforming, with the bottom and end of the tank, a conduit for thedischarge of water upon the board, the lower end of said angle-platebeing turned up to meet the forward edge of said board and pro- Videdwith perforations, a perforated guard connecting the rear edge of theboard with the bottom of the tank, a frame carrying a plunger adapted toreciprocate in the horizontal portion of said conduit and a swingingframe adapted to operate said reciprocating frame and havingascrubbing-roller journaled therein, substantially as and for thepurposes set forth.

6. In a washing-machine, a tank, brackets secured to the sides of thetank, open spaces between the brackets and sides, a scrubbingboardsupported in said brackets, an angleplate forming, with the end andbottom of the tank, a conduit for the discharge of Water upon the board,a frame carrying a plunger adapted to reciprocate in the horizontalportion of said conduit, a swinging frame having a scrubbing-rollerjournaled therein, and

levers pivotally connected to the tank and extending downwardly throughsaid open in presence of two Witnesses, this 15th day of spaces betweeinthe brackets and sides of the July, 1897. tank, one en connected withthe swinging frame and the other with the reciprocating FRED HARDING 5frame, substantially as and for the purposes WVitnesses:

set forth. NATHAN CLIFFORD, In testimony whereof I affix my signature,ELGIN C. VERRILL.

